Isaac Gracie X FAULT Magazine

For Isaac Gracie, the last two years have been nothing more than a journey of self-discovery and introspection. It just so happens that along the way, Isaac has caught of the ears of millions of listeners and radio stations worldwide. After selling out many of the UK’s most prestigious venues, Isaac is about to embark on an even bigger journey after the release of his eponymous debut album on 13th April.

Whilst formulating a series of songs with poetic precision and articulated with such devastating beauty, Isaac has pieced together a record that he claims is a physical representation of a heavy and formative time in his life and as a result unveiled to the public the unravelling of a bold new voice.

We sit down with one of Britain’s most sought-after artists.

FAULT: First of all, how are you and how has your year been so far?

Isaac Gracie: It’s been good – I’ve been good. I just came back from Europe where I finished off the record which is coming out next month. It’s all kind of coming together nicely.

Talk to me about that moment you submitted your demo track ‘Last Words’ and how it got picked up by BBC. Where were you when it all started?

Isaac Gracie: I was on my summer holiday between first and second year of university and I was spending most of my time at home or working in a coffee shop. It was there that I started getting a strange amount of interest whilst I was washing dishes and cleaning tables. I was getting emails from record labels which I had never even thought about and all the while trying to fumble together a decent wage at a coffee shop, it was definitely surreal.

I was also in like a strange headspace then as well. It was summer and I was in the middle of university so I was in a lot of places at one time, so the music felt definitely like an abnormal thing to blow up.

Was music not a priority at that time?

Isaac Gracie: I was just getting on with making a little bit of money so I could have some spending cash at uni, focusing on studying as well and finding a place to live. I had all of these things going on that were completely not related to music – the music was just a personal hobby and a passion – I really had no intention beyond that. It was definitely part of my life – but large notions of success were completely out of the picture.

Is your family musical at all?

Isaac Gracie: No one played necessarily, it wasn’t a run in the family type thing. I was raised on music only in the way that my mum loved music. Bob Dylan was always number one with my mum and when I was growing up, my dad used to play The Bends in the car when we were driving. I can remember going along listening to The Bends when I was like four years old and really digging it.

Where did you record the album?

Isaac Gracie: It was recorded in a few places, we did a big bulk of it at RAK Studios and then we did some at Westpoint Studios in Shepereds Bush and Crouch End. It was recorded over a long period of time in a lot of different set ups so it really does represent the journey of that time. It isn’t just one singular block of experience or creativity but more of an evolution and a reflexion of the changes that happened over that period of time.

Do you find it easier to write a particular song more than others or did you ever struggle at all when writing the album?

Isaac Gracie: I struggle with it all the time. The nature of the songs is kind of like you’re wandering along a beach trying to find a treasure trove and you can walk for hours and not find anything. Obviously, sometimes things are buried closely to the surface and very easy to uncover and other times you really have to dig for them. That’s just kind of how I relate to it, there is no one way or one experience that I have in relation to songwriting.

Are there any songs on the album or on your previous EP’s that have really pushed you out of your comfort zone?

Isaac Gracie: My relationship to songwriting is pretty much on its own terms. I have a diverse and wide appreciation for music and by no means want to restrict myself but it’s purely for the time being based on the situation that I find myself in and in the songs that I still feel I have yet to write. I think right now it’s all based within that frame.

Talk to me about being on tour. Do you have any highlights?

Isaac Gracie: I just love being on the road, it’s pretty awesome to turn up in a different city every day and have like a new crowd of generally speaking, really lovely interesting people there to hear you play your songs. I love the opportunity to travel and see new places but also just driving and looking out the window and being with other people.

It’s also in many respects a bit of a vacuum because you don’t necessarily feel responsible for anything other than the tour so you can kind of switch off a little bit.

What would be your dream if you weren’t a musician?

Isaac Gracie: I’d love to be in film. I’m fascinated by movies and how they’re acted, how they’re directed, how they’re written, everything about them. Obviously, right now music is without doubt the focus but If I get to a place where there was any relative level of comfort or sustainability, then anything in that world would be a dream.

Who would you most like to go and have a beer with?

Isaac Gracie: I saw Bon Iver the other day, I actually saw him twice in one week and he’s always been such a mastery of melody. Also, someone like Jonny Greenwood and be able to discuss the stuff that he’s doing at the moment with his film scores.

What’s 2018 looking like for you?

Isaac Gracie: Well I’m going on tour next month and touring the UK and Europe then I’ve got the album coming out next month as well, April 13th. Following that I’ll be playing festivals throughout the summer and then going on another tour in the winter. Being on the road and making the most of every opportunity to introduce my music to people and play to crowds who enjoy it. It’s a cool experience and the build-up to this record has been a long time coming so I just want to make the most of it when it comes out.

The eponymous ‘Isaac Gracie’ album was released on the 13th April.

 

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